My name is Pat. I'm coming to meet you all at NCBike with my buddy John on 8/12 & 8/13/17. John lives in Raleigh. We get together once a year and if we are lucky two times a year for motorcycle related trips. We've done street trips, track trips, and sometimes throw in destination trips where we can watch races. This year is a "two timer" as we went to Austin in April for the Horsepower Rodeo. I thank the universe every day that I get to do these things with my friend... Anyways, a little about myself:

I was born and raised in southeast TN in Cleveland, but moved to West Virginia in late elementary school. I grew up playing sports (golf, bball, and soccer), riding dirt bikes (first one was KX80), mountain bikes, and skiing. I worked on Timberline in Courtesy Patrol all through high school. I love skiing so much that I moved out west for college and got my first job out west with Vail Resorts doing ski pass sales. I skied more than I went to school. I did eventually finish my undergrad. I’m a Network Engineer. I now live in Denver, CO with my wife. My wife and I ski/snowboard 10-15 days a year.

I got into street motorcycling back in 2002. Partly, because Colorado has some scenic roads, good canyon carving, and +/- 300 sunshine days a year. First bike was sv650, second bike was gxr750, and ever since R1. You all know how it escalates. I took the gxr750 to track back in 2006/2007 a couple of times, I didn’t know what I was doing, but then I low sided in the mountains and insurance totaled it out. As a result, I sold all my gear. I didn't ride again until I got the R1 in 2013. I began street riding all over the state again and realized I was starting to take undue risks. John (from above) and I would always talk analytically about riding and how to ride safely. I think John understood that I had some technical gaps in my riding, so he sent me a book "Sport Riding Techniques" - By Nick Ienatash and said watch the "Twist-of-the-Wrists" movies. I read the book. Re-read it every year now. I am constantly implementing the Keith Code teachings on the track. At this point I realized that I would never safely understand what these machines can do without going to the track. I’m thankful that my friend John gave me this guidance as it was a major catalyst in improving as a rider.

I convinced my wife in 2015 that I was riding wrong and to learn the sport and do it safely I wanted/needed to get the appropriate gear again to go back to the track. How many of you have had that conversation? I wasn't lying to myself or my wife. When you know how hard it is to stop a bike in a controlled environment at +160 mph, let alone +60 mph, it gives you a whole new appreciation for the risks you are taking going that fast in an uncontrolled environment on the street. Nick Ienatash described street riding right, "ride quick, not fast". Once I had my new gear I started going up to a little 1 mile/12 turn road course called IMI. It’s not a quick track, but it is technical. You can rotate sessions with go carts from 10am until dusk for $40 a day. I started looping around that circuit as best as I could with my big bike. Practicing correct body positioning, not trying to rush the corner, focusing on entry turn-ins, trail braking (have to brake straighter and deeper with these big bikes), hitting apexes, looking for exit as soon as hitting apex, and not rushing exits. What I found, is what you all have discussed in some of your other threads, that in some cases, if you mess up one corner, you mess up the next two or three because they are linked.

I’m a big guy, 6’6’’. So I constantly work on not being “lazy” with my body positioning. It seems like once you are on the race line at pace and navigating a road course with the correct body positioning you do less physical work. The machine just wants to go fast once your body is positioned correctly throughout the circuit. I’m not trying to sell the other points of braking, turning, cornering, or exiting short, it’s just body positioning allows you to implement those techniques. One of the best things one of the Yamaha Champions Riding School(met him through N2) control riders said to me last year was “practice like you are racing, even if you come up on a large group and are bunched, at least you will look cool”. It translates though, if you don’t practice it, it won’t ever be sub-conscious, and you will never be quicker.

I do most of my big (2.55 Miles Full course) track days at High Plains Raceway. There are multiple elevation changes, off camper turns, and a neat downhill chicane. It’s a quick track although there are a couple of slow corners (decreasing radius). I wish the circuits tarmac was better, but it goes through so much freeze/thaw every winter. I also go to Pueblo Motorsports on their open lapping days. It’s flatter with less elevation changes and around 2.2 Miles. It reminds a little of NCBike/NCCar.

I know I was a verbose, but maybe when John and I meet you all on 8/12 & 8/13 you can put a face to a back story. I like PRE’s websites About PRE > Who are we? Section. It made me immediately excited to meet and learn from the PRE team! I look forward to your tutelage. One of the most fun things about this sport is analyzing what small inputs you can add or subtract to make you a little quicker, seeing that result, and doing it without those contact patches breaking loose.

P.S. I’m GenX. HeadRush is my old gaming alias from Half-Life Mod. I choose it because in Counter-Strike, which is a first person shooter, you get a lot of head shots, so I thought I was being clever by giving people a HeadRush. I’m a dork. Been using this alias ever since. The alias does double entendre to how much fun I have big mountain skiing and riding on 2-wheels. Favorite quotes are “We take these risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping us”….not sure who said that and MSF’s “All the gear, all the time! a.k.a ATGATT”. My favorite skier of all time is Shane McConkey. His life taught me that your extreme adventures don’t need to continue to press the envelope of your limits, but that you can have fun with extreme sports, continue to learn on a flatter curve, and all without risking your life while doing it. My favorite rider is #46! My favorite all time BBall player is #23!

Welcome Headrush! You will enjoy it here and even more so on the track. My Wife and I are planning on moving to the Denver area eventually, maybe we will meet up and ride out there! By the way, you may be challenging or resident long form poster Kas "The Novel" for longest post of the year!

RocketDan and jbasim51, you probably have seen/met John. Last name Miller. I know he rides with PRE and N2 where he can fit it in. He's got a Silver Tundra and black Yamaha trailer. He usually rides his R6, but he's also got a R1 and KTM390.

Steve Gould, hopefully, we see you at NCBike, but if not, then yes on Denver! Especially, on rides/track days! If you have any questions on things to do and see or what's hot and what's not, then I'd be glad to give feedback. My wife and I live downtown and are always ready to meet new people! What will bring you to Denver? Work, family, or something new?